Last week, Bloomfield Community Television (BCTV) received awards in recognition of its video campaign created to promote recruitment for the Bloomfield Township Police Department (BTPD). The highlight of this campaign was "Midnights with Bloomfield Township Police Department." The honors were courtesy of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), as a part of their 2023 Annual Conference held in Long Beach, CA.
In Category 51 (Use of Social Media Platforms & Website), an Award of Distinction was bestowed for "Bloomfield Township Police Department Social Media Recruitment Campaign." And in Category 52 (Best Use of Video on Social Media), BCTV took home an Award of Honor for "Midnights with Bloomfield Township Police Department."
Cable and Community Relations Director Carrie LeZotte attended the conference and stated, “I’m delighted with these awards, not only for the national recognition, but because the work was created through a significant partnership between the Police Department and the Cable & Community Relations Department that made it possible.”
The videos had an immediate effect on recruitment. Captain Dan Brown came across a recent application where the applicant stated they searched the internet for BTPD and came across the video campaign. Captain Brown added about the applicant, “he said he liked what he saw in the videos, our professionalism, and our family atmosphere. He was brought in for a ride-along and it provided him with everything he needed to know
about our organization.”
In the meantime, BTPD is still looking to fill positions per Captain Dan Brown. “We are still recruiting for another 3 to 4 positions, we have 1 officer starting October 30th, we have 3 current background investigations being done and hope to sponsor 3 candidates for the upcoming January police academy with the MCOLES State grant money.”